Hi everyone, This Essay is going to get into some strange waters. Try to keep an open mind. Let’s talk briefly about checking pulses throughout history. There are many modalities that use a variety of techniques for checking pulses. Traditional Chinese Medicine, Multiple types of applied Kinesiology, Auryvadic medicine, Jin Shin Jytsu, TKM, Aleph Tav, and many more. The technique varies but the goal is usually the same, gaining insight into the state of health of the person being checked and how best to re-align the body’s electromagnetic fields to produce homeostasis.
Today I want to focus on a certain aspect of Auryveda, Ayurveda is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it.
In ayurveda texts, Dosha balance is emphasized, it describes three elemental doshas called Vata, Pitta and Kapha, and states that balance of the doshas results in health, while imbalance results in disease.
Years ago, I learned that Yoga is often prescribed by Auryvadic practitioners to help balance “Doshas” (simple definition of a dosha is three energies called Vata, Pitta and Kapha believed to circulate in the body and govern physiological activity.) I also learned that the practice of Yoga developed alongside Auryvadic medicine.
On January 9th I posted a Screenshot I had taken of a diagram that separates TKM Energy Spheres into Chest, Waist, and Hip level. The purpose of using this organizational scheme is to help further differentiate priorities when checking pulses to increase accuracy and help assign relevant homework for the client. It has become obvious to me over many years that there is a lot of overlap between TKM’s Chest/Waist/Hip correlations and Auryveda Dosha’s. enough to categorize them as follows.
Chest Level/Vata
Waist level/Pitta
Hip Level/Kapha
This was a purely academic exercise for me until I found a list used by Auryvadic Practitioners detailing which Yoga Positions were to be used to move energy out of each level.
For Example:

Yoga Postures for Vata/Chest/Emotional
Arrows indicate the degree of Vata reduction. More arrows are better.

Warm up poses:
Cat-cow ↓
Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) slowly↓
Floor poses:
Baddha Konasana (cobbler) ↓↓
Siddhasana (perfect sitting pose) ↓↓
Virasana (hero pose) ↓↓
Yoga Mudra (yoga seal) ↓↓↓
Navasana (boat pose) ↓↓↓
Supta Virasana (reclining hero) ↓↓

Standing poses:
Tadasana (mountain pose) ↓↓↓
Vrksasana (tree pose) ↓↓
Trikonasana (triangle pose) ↓
Utkatasana (chair pose) ↓↓↓
Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) ↓↓
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) ↓
Ardha Chandrasana (half moon) ↓
Padangusthasana (foot big toe pose) ↓↓
Uttanasana (forward fold) ↓↓↓

Inverted Poses:
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) ↓↓↓
Viparita Karani (feet up the wall) ↓↓↓
Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand) ↓↓↓
Halasana (plow) ↓↓↓
Sirsasana (headstand) ↓↓↓

Backbends:
Most increase vata

Sitting Forward bends:
Janu Sirsasana (head to knee pose) ↓↓↓
Paschinottanasana (full forward bend) ↓↓↓

Twists:
All are slightly decreasing ↓
Savasana:
long, deep and comfortable ↓↓↓

Pranayama:
Nadi Shodhana
(alternate nostril breathing, slowly) ↓↓

Meditation:
So-Hum ↓↓ Trataka (candle gazing) ↓↓

Yoga Postures for Pitta/Waist/Mental
Arrows indicate the degree of pitta reduction. More arrows are better.

Warm up poses:
Cat-cow ↓
Depada Pidam (bridge pose) ↓
Chandra Namaskar (moon salutation) ↓

Floor poses:
Baddha Konasana (cobbler) ↓↓
Siddhasana (perfect sitting pose) ↓↓
Virasana (hero pose) ↓↓
Yoga Mudra (yoga seal) ↓↓↓
Supta Virasana (reclining hero) ↓↓
Anantasana (serpent stretch) ↓↓

Standing poses:
Tadasana (mountain pose) ↓
Vrksasana (tree pose) ↓
Trikonasana (triangle pose) ↓
Ardha Chandrasana (half moon) ↓
Padangusthasana (foot big toe pose) ↓↓
Uttanasana (forward fold) ↓↓
Padottanasana
(spread legs forward fold) ↓↓↓

Inverted Poses:
Viparita Karani (feet up the wall) ↓↓
Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand) ↓
Halasana (plow) ↓

Backbends:
Most are neutral or increase pitta

Sitting Forward bends:
Janu Sirsasana (head to knee pose) ↓↓↓
Paschinottanasana (full forward bend) ↓↓↓
Most others decrease pitta

Twists:
All are slightly decreasing ↓
Savasana:
moderate, soft and letting go ↓↓↓

Pranayama:
Lunar Pranayama (inhale left, exhale right) ↓↓
Shitali (Breathing through curled tongue) ↓↓

Meditation:
So-Hum ↓↓ Trataka (candle gazing) ↓↓

Yoga Postures for Kapha/Hip/Physical
Arrows indicate the degree of kapha reduction. More arrows are better.

Warm up poses:
Cat-cow ↓
Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) ↓↓↓

Floor poses:
Navasana (boat pose) ↓↓
Chaturanga Dandasana (plank pose) ↓↓
Vasisthasana (side plank) ↓↓
Purvottanasana
(intense front extension pose) ↓↓↓

Standing poses:
Tadasana (mountain pose) ↓
Vrksasana (tree pose) ↓
Trikonasana (triangle pose) ↓
Utkatasana (chair pose) ↓
Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) ↓↓
Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) ↓↓
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III) ↓↓↓
Ardha Chandrasana (half moon) ↓↓↓

Inverted Poses:
Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) ↓↓
Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand) ↓↓
Halasana (plow) ↓
Sirsasana (headstand) ↓↓↓

Backbends:
Dhanurasana (bow pose) ↓↓↓ Bhujangasana (cobra pose) ↓↓↓
Most others decrease kapha

Sitting Forward bends:
Most increase kapha

Twists:
All are slightly decreasing ↓
Savasana:
short, releasing and no sleeping ↓

Pranayama:
Solar Pranayama (inhale right, exhale left) ↓↓
Bastrika Pranayama (bellows breath) ↓↓

Meditation:
Empty Bowl ↓↓

If you utilize the diagram that shows chest waist hip correlations on the interactive PDF you can check a persons pulses, anywhere you feel excess, as in, to much energy stuck in a particular stratum you can then cross reference it with the tables for Vata, Pitta and Kapha and you will have a list of the effective Yoga positions to release the congestion in a particular location as well as the energy sphere sequences to open up those locations.
I could go on about the useful details and nuance here forever, but I will leave it at that for now. I originally came across the yoga/dosha lists in a book called “yoga for your type” by Dr. David Frawley. As it turns out, the information is all over the internet as well.
Feel free to post questions if you have them!
Happy February everyone!